Bellevue restaurant falling on hard times takes to social media, encouraging people to eat local

Bellevue restaurant falling on hard times takes to social media, encouraging people to eat local

Social media post has been shared hundreds of times

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Updated: 10:18 PM CST Dec 13, 2016

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WEBVTT
SURVIVE TOUGH TIMES.
>> WE ARE HE LIVE WITH THE NEWS
STORY.
>> THE MESSAGE IS SIMPLE AND
RESONATING WITH PEOPLE AROUND
THE METRO ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO
SUPPORT SMALL LOCAL BUSINESS.
>> SIMPLE BURGERS OPEN SIGN
LIGHTS UP THE WINTER NIGHT.
INSIDE THE CHEF SERVES UP MOUTH
WATERING EATS.
BUT OWNERS FEAR THEY MAY HAVE TO
CLOSE.
>> IT'S JUST BEEN HITS AFTER
HIT AFTER HIT.
>> THEY GOT A WALL FULL OF
ACCOLADES CELEBRATING THEIR FOOD
BUT THEY FELL ON HARD TIMES IN
2016.
>> IT STARTED WITH THE ROAD
CONSTRUCTION UP ON HIGHWAY 370.
>> ROAD CONSTRUCTION SLOWED
BUSINESS AND THEN THEY
ENCOUNTERED A STRING OF
EXPENSES, PROBLEMS WITH AIR
CONDITIONING AND THE ROOF.
>> THEY SAY THEY TOOK PAY CUTS
MAKING SURE NONE OF THEIR
EMPLOYEES WOULD BE WITHOUT WORK.
>> WE'RE FAMILY.
IT'S ROUGH BECAUSE WE LOOK
FORWARD TO THIS END OF THE YEAR
TO HAVE A CHRISTMAS PARTY.
WE CAN'T AFFORD IT.
>> A POST SIMPLY ASKED PEOPLE
TO EAT LOCAL.
IT'S BEEN SHARED HUNDREDS OF
TIMES.
TUESDAY NIGHT THE RESTAURANT
FILLING UP.
SOME HAVE BEEN HERE BEFORE.
>> THIS IS ONE OF THE PLACES WE
FIRST HEARD OF WHEN WE MOVED
HERE
>> WE SAW A POST ON FACEBOOK
ABOUT THE TROUBLES THEY WERE
HAVING SO WE DECIDED TO COME IN
AND HELP THEM OUT.
>> OTHERS VISITING FOR THE
FIRST TIME.
>> NOT ONLY DO I GET A GOOD
MEAL BUT HELP KEEP THEM OPEN.
>> WE'LL MAKE IT.
WE'LL MAKE IT.
THAT'S WHAT I'M HOPING FOR.
>> AS FOR THAT WORK ON HIGHWAY
370 THE NEBRASKA DEPARTMENT OF

Bellevue restaurant falling on hard times takes to social media, encouraging people to eat local

The 'open' sign at Sinful Burger in Bellevue lights up the winter night Tuesday. Inside, chefs serve up hot burgers and fries for patrons. But owners worry, they may have to close for good if business doesn't turn around.

"It's just been hit after hit after hit, all year long," Jim Nearing, Sinful Burger owner said.

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Nearing said summer construction led to the winter woes in their budget.

"It started with the road construction up on Highway 370," Nearing said.

Nearing and his wife Debbie opened Sinful Burger in 2011. They have a wall full of accolades celebrating their food. Nearing said the months long pavement repair project on Highway 370 slowed business in the area. Then, he said the restaurant encountered a string of expenses; problems with the air conditioning, water heater, grill and roof.

Nearing and his wife said they took pay cuts this year, not wanting to layoff any of their employees.

"We're family," Nearing said of the staff at Sinful Burger, "It's rough because we look forward to this end of the year where we get to do a Christmas party. We can't afford it this year."

Sinful Burger took to social media Tuesday encouraging people to support small, local restaurants this season. The post has been shared hundreds of times.

Sinful Burger Facebook page

Tuesday night, the restaurant filled up. Some visitors have been to the burger joint before.

"This is one of the places that we heard of when we first moved here," Aris Duncan said.

"We saw a post on Facebook about the troubles that they were having, so we decided we wanted to come here," Cristy Duncan said.

Others, like Jo Meier, who also saw the Facebook post, are dining at Sinful Burger for the first time.

"Not only am I going to get a good meal, I'm going to help keep them open," Meier said, " I love mom and pop type places."

It's these customers that give the Nearings optimism about continuing to cook their sinful burgers into 2017.